Dam.



, PATENTBD NOV. 12, 1907. W. L. CHURCH.

DAM. APPLICATION FILED JULY 3. 1907.

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` rest into a substantially vertical conduit extending 2 5 wheelis thereiore materially -reduced by Y The invention consists WILLIAM L: CHURCH, OF NEWTON DAM.,

Specification of Letters Patent.

, MASSACHUSETTS.

Patentes Nov. 11a, 19o?.

Application filed July 3.1907. Serial No. 382,105.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. CHURCH. of Newton,

in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements 5 .iri Dams.. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to turbine connections in a dam constructed to adjoin, overhang or cover a power station, which includes a wheel casing, containing. a turbine .or other form of wheel, adapted to be driven l0 bya falling volume oi water, the water being con.

v ducted `to the wheel casing throughsJ substantially vertical pensto'ck, the receiving end of which is in .communication with the body of Water impounded by the dam.

It is well known that waterpassing from a state ol s ownwardly from near the surface oi the watenacquires a gyratory motion in and immediately above with` the water, the a'ir being carried downwardly through the conduit, and displacing water which .would 'otherwise act upon the wheel. The power derived from the Weightof the water acting upon the the presence of air in the stream, the air having no available weight,

` lthereby reducing the weight of the volume of water f V- `abovel the wheel, and destroying by rexpansion the vacuum in the draft tube below they wheel.

yMy invention has forits object to obviate this objection ,by preventing the entrance of air into a vertical penstock or conduit in any volume, so as to appreciably affect the force or power of the falling stream as above described.

in the combination with a substantially vertical penstock or conduit extending downwardly from a body of water impounded by a dam to a wheel'casing, of means for preventing the i appreciable displacement of water passing downwardly of; the penstock,

e entrapping of air by the water entering the penstockpand in part by closing, so tospeak,

the end of the whirlpool should one b e formed. l

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of i this specificatiomFigure l represents a transverse section of a dam provided with a power station, which 50. includei a vertical penstock, the dam being provided 1on vline 2-2of Fig. l.

The same letters of reference indicatethe same parts in all the figures.

I have illustrated my invention as applied to a dam composed oi reinforced concrete, and including an inclined deck o and an apron or spillway b.. said parts being oppositely inclined, and meeting to form a crest c, the' latter being located between buttresses atlthe end portions of the darn, said buttresses being higher than the crest. In the drawings ,l have shown only one of the buttresses, and it will be understood that thebuttress at the the same construction as that here shown.

d represents the top oi the but'tress, which is preferably a' horizontal platform of reinforced concrete, forming the top of a fore bay c, which is located at the upstream side of the deck- The downstream Aside of the fore bay is formed by the upper portion of the deck, while the front or upstream side of the fore bay is formed by a vertical wall f. The bottom oi the fore bay is form'ed by a substantially horizontal portion a2 of thedeck, the latter being oi angular form between its upper and lower portions, as shown in Fig. l; to provide a horizontal loro bay horizontal bottom a2 penstockk, which extends downwardly to a wheel casing i, located within the space over which the apron at the buttress The casing 'L' contains a water wheel, wliiclrmay be oi any suitable construction, and adapted to turn a shaft j which extends from the casing lc.

escapes through a draft-tubc m, and llows down stream through a suitable opening or openings in the-f' downstream side ot' thedamthe fore bayhas a water inlet The upstream wall of o in its lower portion to opposite end oi the dam may be of,

bottom. Through the extends a substantially verticalv portion of the dam projects.

admit water to the fore bay and penstock, said opening being controlled by a vertically movable gate p,

from which extends upwardly from thetop d a suitable operating bar, r1.

In carrying out my 'invention preventing the entrance with the water into the receiw ing end of the penstock, of bodies or globules of air in any measurable quantity Said means in part comprise a series of vertical blades or which are located in close end of the penstock, and extend above thesame, the said blades being arranged to permit the free entrance of Water from the fore bay into the penstock, and at the same time to prevent a gyratory and the formation of a whirlpool acting as baille plates to I provide means ifor i7 balile plates v and v, proximity to 'the receiving motion of the Water, therein, the bladesY 10,5 prevent a horizontal or ap-` proximatcly horizontal circular movement ol' tire wa-lr ter in the bottom portion of the fore bay and inthe re ceiving end of the penstoclr. The plates are here shown as disposed in t c man j.

blades or baille wo serics,-one in- 2,110

' three parts, to witj `the float or floating platform,

cluding a plurality of fixed blades fu, the lower edges of which are in closeproximity to the receiving end of the penstock, and aplurality of movable blades 1i', ailixed to and projecting downwardly from a iioat w, the blades o al ernating with the blades fu, as shownA in Fig. 2. The invention also' consists n part of the iioat w, which may be made oi wood'or other material o less specific gravity than water,l and is therefore supported by the water in the fore bay, and adapted to rise and fall therewith. y v

It will be seen that While the water ilows freely into the penstock between the blades o o', it is prevented by said blades from ilowing horizontally, and thus forming a whirlpoohand sucking air in displacing bodies into the penstock. It will also be seen that even if the blades were absent, the float would of itself in part prevent the formation oi the whirlpool, and iur` ther if a partial whirlpool should form, the float would prevent the downward suction of air, thereby cuttingA ofi the Whirlpool from contact with the air.

It follows therefore that my invention consists of the the standing blades. Any one or be omitted and the' invenhanging blades and twopof these elements may tion remain substantially `operative in its desired functions, although possibly in a lessened degree. The most complete operation would be `secured by the presence oi the platform and at least one, set oi the blades; The floating platform is a loose fit inside or the box forming the fore 'hay to the penstock-` `:[t is therelfore prevented from rotating and at the same time is free to rise and fall as the level oi the water surface may change.

Without departing irom my invention, the platiorm be fixed and mechanically supported in a position over the intake of the penstock, and at or beneath the lowest surface level of the water. But such a platform must be fixed at the lowest assumed level oi -ior preventing the entrance oi water-displacing bodies oi air into a vertical penstock, as any other suitable means may be employed for ,this purpose without departing irom'the spirit oi my invention.,`

1. In combination, a substantially vertical penstock, and means for preventing the admission of waterdisplacing bodies of air with the Water entering vthe penstock.

2. In combination, a substantially vertical penstock, and means for preventing the gyration of water ait/and above the receiving end ot the penstock.

3. in combination, a substantially vertical penstock, and baille plates arranged to prevent a gyratory movement of the water entering the pcnstock.

4. ln combination, a substantially vertical penstock and` a platformlocated above'the receiving end of the' penstock.

5. In combination, a substantially vertical'penstock, a platform located above the receiving end of the penstock, and haiile plates affixed to and proyecting downwardly from the platform.

6. In combination, a substantially vertical penstock and "a iioating platform located above the receiving end of the penstock, and baille plates annexed to and projecting dovvnwardly from the platform.

7. lncomblnation, a substantially vertical penstoek and a platform vvlocated above the receiving end of the penstock, and baille plates attached to the penstock or forebay and extending across the intake of the penstock.

8. In combination, a substantially1 vertical penstock, a floating platform located above the receiving end of the penstock, baille plates axed to and projecting downwardly from the platform, the plates on the platform.

In testimony whereof I have aixed my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

WXLLIAM Il. CHURCH.

Witnesses C. F. BROWN, E. Bsfrcimnnnn.

and fixed baiiie plates alternating with p 

